They're one of Autumn's favourite vegetables, but cutting up and peeling a pumpkin can be tricky. With a few simple tips you can easily navigate a whole pumpkin and be well on your way to whipping up a pot of soup.
Firstly, you need to make sure everything is stable. Place a damp tea towel under your cutting board to prevent it from moving around. Next, if your pumpkin is an odd shape, or you're cutting up a butternut squash, use a heavy, very sharp chef's knife to cut off about 1cm from the bottom of the pumpkin creating a flat surface.
Using the ridges in the pumpkin as a guide, start to cut the pumpkin into wedges. Drive the tip of the knife through the top of the pumpkin, then use the heel of your hand to help the knife pass through the body. If you're using the entire pumpkin, cut the pumpkin in half, then into quarters and finally into wedges.
Using a spoon, remove and discard the seeds. If you need to remove the skin, the easiest way is to use a pairing knife to carefully cut it off each wedge. Otherwise, if the skin is thin, like on a butternut squash, use a vegetable peeler to easily remove it.
Cooking with pumpkin
Once you have the preparation mastered, there's no end to the range of dishes you can make with pumpkin. Why not have a go at these recipes to get you started?
Like these baking ideas? There are plenty more in our Baking recipes collection.
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